Wheel Chair questions

[kimysbug]

Thank you everyone for all your help w/our trip
Just a reminder of our story
Mom was in the hospital for 16 months
She missed our VR at WDW in 2005
She has been out since Jan & the Doctors have cleared her for take off

So we are going to WDW September 27-October 1st
Staying at the Poly- Garden view-2 rooms Moms WC assessable
MNSSHP- September 28th
Hoop Dee Do September 29th

We leave in 71 more days

Mom can walk around her apartment
She uses a walker around to Bingo & such
She also has a wheelchair
She also has a cane she sometimes uses

We have many many discussions about our upcoming trip
This is what Mom wants and hey what Mom wants Mom gets

I will be taking all her stuff
She will use her wheelchair in the airport & hotel

We will rent a scooter at the parks I know it is first come first serve but she does not want to be tied down with one.

If she is in her wheel chair are we allowed to fold it up for busses & boats & just walk onto the transportation?


Will the bus driver/Boat captain get mad that she is so slow loading & unloading?

Can we leave her wheelchair at the rental place at the parks if she wants a scooter?

She would like to use her walker in the shops/can she park the scooter out side of the shops in the parks & use her walker?

I hope this makes sense.
TIA
Kim

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I will be taking all her stuff. She will use her wheelchair in the airport & hotel

We will rent a scooter at the parks I know it is first come first serve but she does not want to be tied down with one.

If she is in her wheel chair are we allowed to fold it up for buses & boats & just walk onto the transportation?

For the boats and monorail she would just roll on. If she will be using buses, a lot may depend on the driver. They would probably prefer that she use the ramp and the wc tied down in the bus. This way you will be first on but last off. Since the bus in configured for wheelchairs, she will actually take up less room than folding u the chair.

Will the bus driver/Boat captain get mad that she is so slow loading & unloading?

No. If they seem to, take their name and report them.

Can we leave her wheelchair at the rental place at the parks if she wants a scooter?

Yes, but make sure there is something on the wc that clearly identifies it as hers.

She would like to use her walker in the shops/can she park the scooter out side of the shops in the parks & use her walker?

I might suggest the cane rather than bring the walker to the park. It is much easier for someone else in the group to hold the cane for her while she is in the ECV than to try to maneuver a closed walker. Also, as she gets more comfortable with using an ECV she can bring it into the shops with her.

One thing is if a decision is made to rent an ECV off-site (which may be a better idea, since it will be available all the time) is that you can get a cane holder mounted on the ECV which Disney does not do. Also, the rental ECVs are smaller and more maneuverable so she might be more willing to take it into the shops with her.

I hope this makes sense.
TIA
Kim

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree with everything that Cheshire Figment wrote.
The time you are going should be pretty good with not many crowds except that the Epcot Food and Wine Festival begins on Sept 28. That will make it more crowded at Epcot - especially first days and weekends. But the other parks should still be slow and Epcot is mostly busy in World Showcase for the Festival.

 

[kimysbug]

Thank you again

I wish she would let us rent a ecv off site, but she thinks she wants just her wheelchair/cane & or walker.
We still have 70 more days

I will take her cane to the park then & leave her walker in the room

 

[prncess674]

Thank you again

I wish she would let us rent a ecv off site, but she thinks she wants just her wheelchair/cane & or walker.
We still have 70 more days

I will take her cane to the park then & leave her walker in the room

Why would she want just a wheelchair? Will she be able to push herself through the crowded parks on her own? I would remind her that her wheelchair doesn't push itself and that she would be 100 times more independent by not having to rely on anyone to push her around the park. I pushed my Dad around WDW in a wheelchair several years ago and I was exhausted at the end of the day, which didn't make for a great vacation for me. ECVs for sure. Dad can walk short distances as well.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Why would she want just a wheelchair? Will she be able to push herself through the crowded parks on her own? I would remind her that her wheelchair doesn't push itself and that she would be 100 times more independent by not having to rely on anyone to push her around the park. I pushed my Dad around WDW in a wheelchair several years ago and I was exhausted at the end of the day, which didn't make for a great vacation for me. ECVs for sure. Dad can walk short distances as well.

With some practice, you can handle a wheelchair just fine. I use a chair and no way in heck would I use an ECV. If her mother wants to push a chair, and there's backup if she needs a rest, then let her use one.

Bold emphasis mine: that's a pretty tacky thing to say to a wheelchair user.

 

[prncess674]

With some practice, you can handle a wheelchair just fine. I use a chair and no way in heck would I use an ECV. If her mother wants to push a chair, and there's backup if she needs a rest, then let her use one.

Bold emphasis mine: that's a pretty tacky thing to say to a wheelchair user.

The point I am making is, it seems that the Mom in this scenario does NOT have the upper body strength to propel herself (we will let the original poster answer this question, remember we aren't talking about you, but the Mom in this situation.) Asking another person in your party to push her all day isn't very nice when simply renting an ECV would make it a more pleasant experience for everyone.

Congrats that you are able to do WDW in a manual wheelchair on your own. It seems that you are a full time user. The OP's Mom seems to be in a temporary situation using a wheelchair and more likely than not does not have the same accuity in a wheelchair as you do.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

The average wheelchair/ECV renter in WDW is not an experienced one. I know that. I was just pointing out that it can be done. It just gets old hearing people sing the praises of ECVs all the time, when touring WDW in a wheelchair is possible.

But anyway...

 

[heatherg]

The point I am making is, it seems that the Mom in this scenario does NOT have the upper body strength to propel herself (we will let the original poster answer this question, remember we aren't talking about you, but the Mom in this situation.) Asking another person in your party to push her all day isn't very nice when simply renting an ECV would make it a more pleasant experience for everyone.QUOTE]

We did 10 days in Disney with my SIL, who only used an ECV for 2 of those days and a wheelchair for the rest (she decided that the ECV was a better choice at Animal Kingdom). There were 3 of us adults and we rotated who pushed her. I was surprised how easy it was to push. Even the kids (aged 5-10) took short turns pushing her. She isn't a regular wheelchair user (she has cancer and there's just no way she could've physically done the walking at this point -- between her surgery and the chemo), so she didn't wheel herself.

I think all of us actually enjoyed the wheelchair days more than the ECV days. We could be closer to her while walking, the wheelchair was less cumbersome. And the bonus to them financially . . . w/c are $10 a day vs. the $40 for a daily WDW ECV rental.

Heather

 

[prncess674]

We did 10 days in Disney with my SIL, who only used an ECV for 2 of those days and a wheelchair for the rest (she decided that the ECV was a better choice at Animal Kingdom). There were 3 of us adults and we rotated who pushed her. I was surprised how easy it was to push. Even the kids (aged 5-10) took short turns pushing her. She isn't a regular wheelchair user (she has cancer and there's just no way she could've physically done the walking at this point -- between her surgery and the chemo), so she didn't wheel herself.

I think all of us actually enjoyed the wheelchair days more than the ECV days. We could be closer to her while walking, the wheelchair was less cumbersome. And the bonus to them financially . . . w/c are $10 a day vs. the $40 for a daily WDW ECV rental.

Heather

There are many factors in determining whether to do a manual wheelchair or an ECV. Some things to consider.
Weight of the person needing to be pushed and second the number of persons willing and able to push the manual wheelchair. When I pushing my Dad it was just me. I was 19 yrs old and probably half his body weight. I was a poor college student at the time and it would have made our experience much nicer had we just rented the ECV. ECVs aren't the end all be all, each much decide what is right for them. It seems you were pushing a smaller woman and had lots of help. Try pushing someone twice your body weight all day without help. Mom & Dad are both going on our trip in October. Mom doesn't have the strength to push Dad so when they are tired in the afternoon they can make their way back to the hotel on their own and me and Sister can stay and do a few more attractions if we want.

Just remember every situation is different and everyone needs to make the right decision for them.

 

[heatherg]

There are many factors in determining whether to do a manual wheelchair or an ECV. Some things to consider.
Weight of the person needing to be pushed and second the number of persons willing and able to push the manual wheelchair. When I pushing my Dad it was just me. I was 19 yrs old and probably half his body weight. I was a poor college student at the time and it would have made our experience much nicer had we just rented the ECV. ECVs aren't the end all be all, each much decide what is right for them. It seems you were pushing a smaller woman and had lots of help. Try pushing someone twice your body weight all day without help. Mom & Dad are both going on our trip in October. Mom doesn't have the strength to push Dad so when they are tired in the afternoon they can make their way back to the hotel on their own and me and Sister can stay and do a few more attractions if we want.

Just remember every situation is different and everyone needs to make the right decision for them.

We did have a good amount of help. It definitely was helpful. . . I was assuming that as they were getting 2 rooms, it was more than just Kim and her mom.

I guess what rubbed me the wrong way about your post was your statement that it wasn't very nice for someone in a wheelchair to ask for someone to push them. I can't imagine thinking my SIL "not very nice" because of that, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. We were so thrilled that we were able to take a family vacation with our 2 families, we would've willingly done anything that would make the experience the best it could be for her.

However, maybe I should've brought weight into it. While my SIL is fighting cancer, she does not look like what people think of when you hear the words "cancer patient." She was not small before she was diagnosed, and has gained a little weight while on her treatments. As an aside, that's one thing that we've learned from the past 8 months. . . a good number of people fighting cancer look "normal", not the emancipated beings that you assume they would be. I know there had to be people who saw her, and saw us using wheelchair access and her GAC and wondered why that "normal" looking woman was getting those benefits.

You are right. . . every case has to be judged independently. I just wanted Kim to know that wheelchair instead of ECV (as her Mom doesn't want to use the ECV) can still be a great experience.

 

[prncess674]

We did have a good amount of help. It definitely was helpful. . . I was assuming that as they were getting 2 rooms, it was more than just Kim and her mom.

I guess what rubbed me the wrong way about your post was your statement that it wasn't very nice for someone in a wheelchair to ask for someone to push them. I can't imagine thinking my SIL "not very nice" because of that, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. We were so thrilled that we were able to take a family vacation with our 2 families, we would've willingly done anything that would make the experience the best it could be for her.

However, maybe I should've brought weight into it. While my SIL is fighting cancer, she does not look like what people think of when you hear the words "cancer patient." She was not small before she was diagnosed, and has gained a little weight while on her treatments. As an aside, that's one thing that we've learned from the past 8 months. . . a good number of people fighting cancer look "normal", not the emancipated beings that you assume they would be. I know there had to be people who saw her, and saw us using wheelchair access and her GAC and wondered why that "normal" looking woman was getting those benefits.

You are right. . . every case has to be judged independently. I just wanted Kim to know that wheelchair instead of ECV (as her Mom doesn't want to use the ECV) can still be a great experience.

I think you are reading WAYYYY too much into my statements. Pushing someone is hard work. Of course everyone wants to do everything to make someone else's trip more enjoyable. Our trip is in 3 months, and if my Dad didn't already have enough health problems, he is currently in the hospital having open heart by-pass surgery. If my Dad were insistent on not using an ECV of course I would push him around, but I would hope that he would have respect for the rest of us and just use the ECV so we too could enjoy our vacation WITH HIM. I am going above and beyond "good daughter" status. Most of our restaurants are either at EPCOT or monorail resorts so that he can easily manuever independently to and from restaurants. We are also staying at the Contemporary in two tower view rooms (Mom & Dad in an accessable room, me & sis in another room, at $400 a night there are certainly cheaper options but knowing independence could be had staying here I gladly shelled out the additional $$$ per night)

I guess I just don't understand why "Mom" doesn't want to use the ECV, since her choosing to not use the ECV puts more strain and work on others in her party. To me, that just sounds a bit selfish on the part of "Mom." It appears that Kim WANTS her Mom to use the ECV, but doesn't quite know how to approach the subject.

Your sister was lucky that she had lots of help and apparently the additional financial burden of renting an ECV was a concern for your family so you made the decision that was right for you. Perhaps Kim isn't in the same situation.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

OK Folks,

This is starting to get a bit from the original post and people seem to be misinterpreting what others are saying.

Try to keep this friendly and post only if you have something which might be useful to the original poster.

 

[kimysbug]

Hey guys Kim here
I have read everything

Mom wants her WC for more the resorts & DTD
We are only going to MK, EPCOT Hoop De Doo & Down Twon Disney or as mom calls it Lake Buana Vista last time she was to the work was the late 70's

In the parks we will rent a ECV- I know risky but we need to go in the am because of moms other health issues.

She just does not want one all the time to be married to it

I hope this makes sense

 

[LindsayDunn228]

It makes perfect sense. I don't blame your mom.

 

[Figaro]

I'm glad you worked out what your Mom wants, original poster!

The below is my opinion and is NOT directed at what anyone else has posted, but for the lurkers who aren't posting. (Waves madly at lurkers and invites them to come on in and post).

My spouse is a computer geek with a sedentary job and he has no problem pushing me and my wheelchair at Disney World. I don't need to use it all the time when I am at home, so the majority of his "pushing" time is when we are on trips together.

He says that the main thing to remember about pushing a wheelchair is to take it easy and take your time. Our trips are more enjoyable with me in a wheelchair because we are closer together and it is easier for us to communicate with each other. It also is less stressful for us because the wheelchair is easier for him to maneuver around than it is for me to use an ECV due to medications that affect my ability to manage it.

The rental wheelchairs are better than the Disney park wheelchairs (I have my own) because they are lighter weight and you are sure of getting the correct size. Fingerless weight lifting gloves with padding help protect the "pushers" hands from blisters. Sunscreen on my knees and feet is a must and it needs to be reapplied frequently.

While our trips are different since the wheelchair, I would venture to say that it has definitely encouraged us to slow down and "smell the roses" on our trips to Disney World. We notice (and enjoy) the little things a great deal more than we did on trips when we were in a hurry to get going and went to the parks with that kind of attitude.

One size definitely does not fit all when it comes to mobility devices. And each family should decide for themselves what will work for them. Just don't discard the option of using a wheelchair because it didn't work for some people and have a great time no matter what mobility device you use, at the most magical place in the world.

 

[kimysbug]

Thank you Figaro
I am going to grab a pair of gloves good idea
Mom's wheel chair is also a light weight one

 

[tiggr33]

Fingerless weight lifting gloves with padding help protect the "pushers" hands from blisters. Sunscreen on my knees and feet is a must and it needs to be reapplied frequently.

One size definitely does not fit all when it comes to mobility devices. And each family should decide for themselves what will work for them. Just don't discard the option of using a wheelchair because it didn't work for some people and have a great time no matter what mobility device you use, at the most magical place in the world.

Hi, all. I am a lurker on this board, but can add to this thread.

I damaged my foot and ankle in May in France while on a cruise. It hasn't healed properly and I could not rest it like I should have. Last week I was in DL for 5 nights/6 days. By the end of the first day, I could barley walk, was in great pain, couldn't keep up wth my travel mates, and was generally miserable. We got a wheelchair from the Grand Californian Hotel.

I am not supersized, but I am not a size 10 either. It was a wheelchair from h -e double hockey sticks to be in. It didn't fit me. The side bars were digging into my legs above my knees, putting my legs in a non neutral position, causing much discomfort in my hips. The next day we switched to a larger chair and it made all the difference to me. My pusher said it was harder to push, as it put their arms farther apart. I could barley wheel myself, the larger sized chair was akward for me to reach the wheels. I did do some of my own wheeling, and wish I had a pair of gloves myself.

As for the sunscreen, I burnt both my knees and above my ankles. I had applied sunscreen, but just not frequently enough.